


Twelve hours

by Anonymous



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Bacta gel as lube, Dubiously consensual nonconsent, Extremely Dubious Consent, Fuck Or Die, Graphic Depictions of Illness, Hostage Situations, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Inadequate Aftercare, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mild Blood, Nonconsensual consent???, POV Alternating, Painful Sex, Poor Dopheld Mitaka, Rape Aftermath, Referenced euthanasia, i don't even know what to call this, kylo ren does not understand consent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-15
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-07-29 16:39:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16268186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Inspired bya Kyluxhardkinks prompt. While this isn't technically a prompt fill, this has been posted with the original prompter's blessing.A/B/O. After undergoing trauma at the hands of his captors, Lieutenant Mitaka learns his problems are only just beginning.More tags/pairings to be added as the story progresses.~





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This sprouted from a prompt on [kyluxhardkinks](http://kyluxhardkinks.tumblr.com), but is not strictly a prompt fill. While kylux does feature in this work, it isn't the main focus, and although I did toy with the idea of making Hux the omega, I realized quickly that I couldn't do it justice. Luckily, the OP responded to my request to get in touch, and while they have politely requested to remain anonymous also, they have given me their full blessing to use their idea, although they stressed that they'd also like to see it fulfilled as written, at some point.
> 
> I haven't posted the full text of the prompt on here, as it contains spoilers for the plot - very little has been changed, aside from the characters involved - but you're [welcome to take a look](http://kyluxhardkinks.tumblr.com/post/178953895701/the-prompt-below-contains-non-con-in-a-hostage), especially if you think you might be able to fill this prompt as the OP intended :)

The rescue was brief and violent. Mitaka worried momentarily that their captors would jettison them into space at the first sign of trouble. The panic must have shown on his face, because Hux had shuffled up closer to Dopheld in the cramped back of that small craft and murmured, over the sound of weapons fire hitting the hull, "Those are TIE fighters. If they know we're here, they'll shoot to disable."

"It's not the First Order I'm worried about, sir." Mitaka's voice was weak and croaky from days of poor hydration and-

Well. He was trying not to think about what else they'd done to his throat. That had been the worst part of the rapes, somehow - less painful than being taken from behind, but somehow more intimate, more visceral. He wished desperately for a drink of water. He didn't known how Hux could stand it.

"They won't kill us. We're all they have to negotiate with now."

The sound of the engine abruptly powering down brought a halt to the attack. Mitaka heard the bounty hunters scrambling around in the cockpit, grabbing their weapons as the shudder of a docking clamp reverberated through the ship. One of the men came in and grabbed Hux by the collar, blaster pressed to his temple.

"Move," he barked. Wrists restrained by the cuffs that both prisoners had been fitted with, Hux could only comply. Dopheld watched him go.

All he could hear from then on was the sound of shouting and the abrupt hum of a lightsaber, but they filled the details in for him later. The bounty hunter with his gun to the General's head had not counted on the presence of the Supreme Leader himself; finding himself frozen before he could so much as touch the trigger, Ren had retrieved Hux from his grasp before slicing his captor cleanly in two with his lightsaber. The others hadn't stood a chance.

"You should have left one of them alive, at least," Hux complained, when the cuffs were off their wrists and Captain Opan was tending to the Lieutenant's more superficial wounds in the back of the Command shuttle's cockpit. "We could have done with the chance to interrogate them."

Ren didn't look round from the pilot's chair. "I saw inside their minds," was all he said. Mitaka had the feeling he wasn't just talking about their plans. Small suspicions around the Supreme Leader's personal presence on this mission were starting to gather and solidify in his head. Kylo and Hux still bickered in public, but the spite seemed to have been drained from their interactions lately, and Ren's violent outbursts - increasingly rare these days - were no longer aimed in the General's direction, if the rumours were to be believed.

Relationships between alphas weren't completely unheard of. Just unusual. And even without the influence of biology - the inexorable, hormone-driven instinct for an alpha to protect their omega, to react with violence when another alpha intruded on what their hindbrain told them was rightfully _theirs_ \- Dopheld could definitely understand why Kylo had simply cut their captors down outright.

After what had been done to the two of them, even Mitaka found the idea appealing. Better that they were dead, so he never had to think about them again.

Right now, there were a lot of things he never wanted to think about again.

Perhaps he was in shock. His memories of the last few days were quickly gaining a sort of detachedness, all emotional association slipping away while still leaving behind a vague sense of nausea and danger whenever his thoughts got too close. Mitaka was too calm, and he knew it. Shock was the only explanation for how he could sit here in an enclosed space full of alphas and not panic.

And yet he could not help but note the absence of any alpha pheromones coming from the General. Opan and Kylo, yes, but not Hux, and it was more noticeable now that the scent of his captors was starting to wear off him -

"Lieutenant?"

Opan was speaking to him. Mitaka hadn't noticed. Now Hux was staring at him too, and even Leader Ren had twitched his head to the side, still keeping the shuttle controls in his peripheral vision as he glanced back to see what was going on. Mitaka swallowed, feeling the harsh scrape of his own throat.

"I'm sorry, sir. Could you repeat the question?" he said.

Opan had a handheld scanner. He was frowning at the screen. "Did your captors give you a drug of some kind?" he asked carefully. "Perhaps the same thing they gave General Hux?"

They had. Back when the two were being kept planetside (neither of them had been able to work out which planet). Once a day, after Dopheld was marched into the showers and forced to wash, they'd inject him with what he'd assumed to be a sedative - then once more at sundown. Afterwards he'd become drowsy and foggy-headed, and it would be difficult to fight back when-

_Don't think about that part._

"Yes," he replied, his voice cracking a little. "Why?"

* * *

Nobody followed Mitaka into the passenger compartments. He locked himself in the fresher, wrestled off his ripped tunic, leaned over the sink. In the mirror his eyes were deep-shadowed and lined with red.

The impulse to never be naked again wrestled with Mitaka's desperate need for a shower, and lost. In the small cubicle, he scrubbed at his skin until it burned and punched the wall in frustration when the spray cut out after two minutes. It hadn't felt like enough, so he grabbed a tissue and pumped alcohol gel onto it before rubbing furiously at his face, his hands, under his arms, the insides of this thighs. All he wanted now was to die clean and he couldn't even fucking have that. Maybe they'd take pity on him and switch off the rationing function, but he couldn't imagine himself making such a request of his superiors, even now. So this would have to suffice. In a few hours it wouldn't matter anyway.

Knowing he wasn't going to live to see the Finalizer again was both terrifying and liberating. His life had torpedoed abruptly into perspective; no more worrying about his career progression, no more annoyance at the uncomfortable collar of his tunic or the creaky floor-panel in his quarters. Yet he could not allow himself to linger too hard on pleasant memories. That would hurt too much, now, and between that and the unpleasant ones - those last few humiliating days in particular - there seemed to be nothing left.

He vomited into the toilet and brushed his teeth until he spat blood. When he finally re-emerged into the cramped common area, he found he was no longer alone.

Ren held up both hands, empty and open, a benign gesture which looked odd on him.

"I'm sorry," he said. Dopheld could have laughed. He'd never thought he'd hear the Supreme Leader apologize for _anything_ , much less to him. Then again, he'd never imagined dying horribly in the back of a command shuttle either. Slowly, he shook his head.

"What for?"

"For intruding." Kylo took a step toward him. Mitaka's instincts flared - he was an alpha, a dangerous alpha, far larger and stronger than him - but he somehow managed to keep from flinching. "I know you don't want to die," he continued, and Dopheld actually _did_ laugh at that.

"No shit," he said. Insubordination didn't seem to matter at this point. What was Ren going to do about it? Kill him? Perhaps Kylo was of the same mind, because he didn't react.

"I can send you to sleep," he offered instead. "Deep enough that you won't wake up again. I could even end it for you now. If that's what you wanted."

Mitaka stopped dead. There was something so merciful about that gesture, so strangely intimate, that he suddenly wanted to cry. After a few stunned seconds he found himself nodding.

"Do it," he said. "As quickly as possible." His skin had gone clammy. Fear was creeping up on him. He needed to do this before he changed his mind. Ren took another step forward, held out an arm.

"I can put you to sleep and break your neck. The others will understand."

Mitaka stared at the arm. Was he offering to hold him while he did it? Unbelievably, he was tempted to accept. He moved toward him. _These are your last moments,_ he told himself. _Have some dignity._ And yet the tears were already streaming down his cheeks. _There will be nothing after this. It will all be over._ Ren's arm curled around him. He felt his knees give out, felt the thick fabric of the Supreme Leader's tunic against his cheek. A hand moved to press at the back of his head-

"Stop." He didn't even realize he was speaking and yet the decision seemed already made. "Stop. I can't do it."

For a terrifying instant he wondered whether Ren might kill him anyway. But the moment passed, and he was still alive. He righted himself again, legs shaking, heart in his throat. Kylo was holding him up at arm's length, his gaze inscrutable.

"I don't want to die," Dopheld managed. "I know I can't ask you all to do this-"

"We've already said we would." (How could he sound so calm?) "You don't have to justify yourself. But you don't have much time." The Supreme Leader tilted his head back, gave him a long and measured look. "How long do you need?"

"Ten minutes." This was all moving so quickly now, but he couldn't afford to stop and think any more. "I'll need medical supplies. And more water in the fresher."

"You'll have it," Ren told him, and swept out, leaving him alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be the last chapter for a while that doesn't contain some kind of horrendously dubious smut. Tread carefully.

Kylo had come to his rescue in person. That surprised Hux, even though it shouldn't have. _Trust Ren to dive headfirst into trouble without thinking._ Except that wasn't technically true. He _had_ been thinking - he'd just prioritised the safety of his General over his responsibility to the Order. It was almost romantic.

It would have felt a lot _more_ romantic if Hux had been given the opportunity to change his clothes in the last ten days.

Either way, there was no time to dwell on it. He grilled Kylo on the details of their extraction while Captain Opan dabbed bacta on Mitaka's face in the back of the cockpit.

"They kept us planetside for at least five days," he said stiffly, after Ren had checked in on their TIE escorts. "Seemed to leave in a hurry - I suppose that was your doing?"

"We couldn't risk alerting them by bringing a Star Destroyer into this sector, so we had to rout them away from their defenses. I knew our best chance of retrieving you alive would be in transit." Ren engaged thrusters again and then turned halfway to glance at Hux. "Our intelligence suggested they intended to hold you there for a while."

"Well, that's more than Mitaka and I knew. They were very careful not to let us in on their plans. We couldn't even tell which system we were in. You should have left one of them alive, at least - we could have done with the chance to interrogate them."

"I saw inside their minds."

Ren wasn't looking at him. Hux went quiet. He'd hoped, somehow, that this subject would never come up between them - that he'd return to Ren after a brisk course of bacta immersion and some medical treatment and there would be no more said about it. Distasteful things happened to hostages sometimes, and that was life; Hux would shove the memories aside and go on with his work as he always had. But there was a kind of sympathy in Kylo's voice that the General didn't like.

Hux had not wanted his lover's pity. He had wanted Ren to have no part in it at all. Compartmentalizing would be difficult now.

"We don't have to talk about it."

The statement took him by surprise, but Hux was grateful for it. He let out a long, slow breath and returned his gaze to the front-view window. "Good. Thank you," he said awkwardly, swallowing down pain.

"Sir?"

The General turned. Tritt Opan was looking at him; beside him, Mitaka seemed to be staring into the middle distance, glassy-eyed. He'd been doing a lot of that recently. Understandable, given the treatment they'd received.

"What is it, Captain?" Hux asked. Tritt glanced down at his handheld scanner, as if to confirm something, then back up at him.

"This might be an odd question, but - when was the last time your captors allowed you to shave?"

Hux brought his hand up unconsciously to touch his jaw, feeling only the barest of stubble. "Five planetary days ago," he said slowly. "Why?"

Something was wrong. Opan paused a little too long before responding. "Did they give you some kind of sedative, sir?"

"Yes - or, well, I think so. Twice a day, intramuscular injection. Looked to be about thirty milligrams."

"Dexitoma?" But that couldn't be right. The General squinted confusedly, rubbed at his cheek again.

"No, sir - give me a moment. Lieutenant, may I ask if you received the same dose?"

Mitaka said nothing. Slowly, Ren looked round. All three of them were staring at the Lieutenant, now, and Opan had to prompt him again to get his attention. When Dopheld finally noticed, it was with a disoriented blink, as if his mind had gone somewhere else entirely.

"I'm sorry, sir. Could you repeat the question?" he said.

"Did your captors give you a drug of some kind?" Opan asked slowly. "Perhaps the same thing they gave General Hux?"

Mitaka took a moment to respond. His voice was croaky, tired. "Yes. Why?"

"I - believe they might have given you both millaflower extract." At the resultant blank looks, the Captain continued. "A rudimentary sedative - a lot of drawbacks, but very easy to manufacture. It binds to hormone receptors, hence the lack of hair growth." His tone grew careful. "In omegas, it also acts as a heat suppressant. It causes rebound heat on withdrawal."

Hux watched Mitaka's expression change. He knew what the younger man was thinking. Rebound heat was rare, but you didn't need Tritt Opan's medical background to understand the implications; every omega knew its signs and progression. Elevated temperature, delirium, loss of consciousness, seizures, death. The window for treatment was small, and not always successful, even with the best available technology and personnel. There was, of course, an alternative treatment - but one most omegas would find extremely unpleasant. Especially under these circumstances.

"How long do I have?" the Lieutenant asked quietly.

"You're already showing symptoms," Opan told him, with a note of apology in his voice. "I'd say it depends on when your last dose was."

Mitaka shook his head disbelievingly. "Yesterday morning," he said. "Planetside."

Which meant their captors may not have brought it with them. So even if they hadn't set the bounty hunters' vessel to self-destruct after stripping it of all its data... Hux felt his jaw go tense.

"We won't be in a position to rendezvous with the _Finalizer_ for another twenty hours," Kylo said, turning back to the console. "Any faster and we risk detection." 

"That's too long," said Opan quietly.

There was silence for a moment. It seemed nobody wanted to suggest what they were all thinking. Finally, Ren spoke up again.

"We have three alphas aboard, and three beta stormtroopers who can take over piloting for us. Do you think that would be enough, Captain?"

"Usually it takes at least four alphas to trigger pheromone saturation, but we may be fortunate in this case. If all else fails, there's at least one alpha TIE pilot in our wing we could call on, assuming everyone here is willing to assist as well."

"I'll do it." Kylo glanced at Hux, who gave a nod. "Opan?"

"Yes. Of course." Tritt turned his attention to the omega. "We need to quarantine you straight away, but there's a private cabin-"

"No." Dopheld's face had gone white. He was staring hard at the opposite wall. Hux suppressed the urge to curse.

"Mitaka," he said, forcing himself to sound gentle. "I understand your objections. If there was any alternative-"

Mitaka stood up abruptly. "How hard is it to understand that I _don't want this to happen to me?_ " His fists were clenched at his sides. He sounded as if he might cry. After an instant, he stormed out, and nobody tried to stop him leaving.

The stars shifted slowly in silence ahead of them. Ahead of the small craft, the black outlines of two TIE fighters could be seen, edged by the light of the distant sun. Hux rubbed his forehead tiredly.

"If anyone's going to try and convince him, now is the time. I suspect it won't be long until his pheromones kick in again," he said.

"With respect, General - I think if we can't secure consent before his symptoms begin to show properly, we're putting ourselves in a very precarious position," Tritt told him.

"If he wants to press charges, he's welcome to try once we're done saving his life," Hux snapped, but he knew Opan had a point. Mitaka was one of his most dedicated officers. Whether he'd remain so after this ordeal was another question entirely. He sighed. "Captain. I assume you still have that dose of neurotoxin? If he's determined to die, we might as well offer him the kindest option."

"That won't be necessary. Take the helm, General," Ren said suddenly.

"...right. Should we-"

"I'm going to _talk_ to him," Kylo said, as he shifted out of the pilot's chair to let Hux take over. "If he changes his mind, we can discuss what happens next when I return."

"Of course, Supreme Leader." Hux couldn't help but glance back at the other alpha as he left, trying not to think that Mitaka might be gone by the time he saw Kylo again - that he might well have missed his chance to say goodbye.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second scene in this chapter may disturb. Content warnings and a summary are at the bottom for those who may wish to avoid certain types of content. Subsequent chapters may be less distressing; a content note will be provided in each case.

Hux's pain was a constant prickling at the edges of Kylo's awareness, a reminder that Mitaka was not the only one who had been hurt. He could sense it even before he re-entered the cockpit. Later, much later, when they were finally alone, he would give in to the impulse to comfort him, to try and hold his broken pieces together for a while longer, but neither of them could afford that right now.

Armitage was a consummate professional. Ren knew that he would try to push the traumatic memories aside for as long as he could, allow his alpha instincts to drown them out as much as possible. If they couldn't - well. They'd deal with that as it came.

"He's given his consent, so we need to talk about logistics," he said. Opan was already in the co-pilot's chair, but he stood up to allow the Supreme Leader to sit down. Ren continued. "Captain, alert KR and DT they'll be needed in the cockpit, and advise them that an officer has been quarantined in the private cabin."

"Of course, sir." Tritt slipped out. Hux shot him a look.

"Well, we know we're accustomed enough to each other that we won't end up scrapping like dogs at the first scent of an omega in heat," he said. "That just leaves the Captain and, potentially, our TIE pilot."

"Better to leave our pilot until we know he's needed." Ren's gaze skimmed over the console ahead of him, checking readouts. "I'll isolate the air circulation system in Mitaka's room. Keep Opan in here until we've both-"

Hux cleared his throat. "Yes. I see. Carry on."

"Afterwards, if necessary, we can try and isolate him as well. It won't be comfortable for him, but it's better than the alternative. I'm trusting you to keep me in check."

The General gave a small laugh. "Easier said than done."

"If all else fails, just kiss me. That's always distracted me before."

It took a little too long for Hux to react with his usual amused scoff. Ren realized too late that he'd inadvertently wandered into painful territory. "Hux," he carried on. "When this is over-"

"Don't. I don't need your pity," Armitage snapped.

"I know better than to pity you. All I'm saying is that once this is over, we can take things as slowly as you need to. I'm not going to abandon you. Even if you never want to touch me again."

"You don't need to worry about that." Hux still didn't look at him, but Ren could sense a kind of softening in him, a quiet relief. "I don't want them to be the last to have me."

"Then they won't. I promise."

He hesitated, then reached out his hand between them. Finally, the General made eye contact. He was trying hard, very hard, to keep his expression neutral, but for all his restraint, it seemed, he could not stop himself from reaching out to take it.

His hand was warm. Ren held it as if it were something precious. They stayed like that for only a moment before the doors slid open behind them, at which point they both whipped away and pretended they'd been concentrating on their route, although Kylo could sense that Tritt wasn't fooled.

They still had a few minutes before the stormtroopers came to take over. Ren caught Hux's smug satisfaction at the fact his insistence on bringing elite troopers had paid off - most hadn't been trained to pilot anything - and for once it didn't annoy him. It was a reassuring hint of normality, a tentative promise that things might not have changed so irrevocably.

He took Opan through their plan as briskly as possible. The Captain had no objections, voiced or otherwise, although a quick glimpse at his thoughts revealed that he was worried about how Mitaka would react to him. Which was understandable. Something occurred to Kylo, then.

"I should be the first," he said. Hux gave him a skeptical look.

"Are you quite sure? You did choke him after the Jakku mission, Supreme Leader," he said.

"I know. But the first time is likely to be the worst for him. He sees you both every day. He doesn't need that reminder."

In the brief silence that followed, he could sense a settling of unease between them; the full realization that there was no possible way to come out from this unscathed.

* * *

Mitaka's cabin had been secured with an access code. Kylo unlocked the doors and sensed immediately the change in the air. Once conspicuously absent, the omega's scent had come back in full force, heady and sweet and so very compelling.

On the bed, Dopheld had stripped down and was hugging his knees to his chest with the thin bedsheet pulled around himself like a cloak. Already there was a dark patch on the mattress by his thighs that Kylo recognized as slick. The young Lieutenant positively stank of it. Kriff, it couldn't have been more than ten minutes since he left him - _he must be so wet by now, so ready_ \- Ren felt his breath hitch in his throat and realized he'd have to be extremely careful here.

He was no stranger to the effect omegas could have on him. He'd been with others before Hux. But despite what Snoke may have tacitly encouraged, Kylo had never taken anyone who wasn't willing. His first had practically thrown herself at him, wrestling him to the mattress and spearing herself on him in the exultant joy of her heat. He had no idea what to do with an omega who wasn't going to make the first move.

Carefully, he shrugged off his cloak, laying it aside before removing his gloves as well. Mitaka watched him undress with the eyes of a trapped animal. At length, when he was wearing nothing but his undershorts, Ren finally spoke.

"We don't have much time."

"I know, Supreme Leader." Dopheld's voice was hoarse. Ren could scent his desire in the air, could feel the yearning and fear warring inside him. He moved toward the bed and knelt at the opposite end, noting the way the omega's body tensed at his approach. The urge to reach out and grab him was almost overwhelming. Ren swallowed.

"I'll be as quick and merciful as I can," he said. Then, finally reaching for the thin sheet that covered Mitaka's body, "Let me see you, omega."

The younger man gave a restrained sob. Ren steeled himself even as he drank in the sight before him. The heat pheromones were definitely doing their job, because in that moment he was the most beautiful creature Kylo had ever seen. Smooth skin sparsely flecked with moles, limbs slender and sculpted, pale thighs just visible behind his folded legs and glistening with slick. He reached out to take hold of Mitaka's shoulder, tried to coax him onto his front-

"No. Not like that. Not again." Dopheld pulled his arm out of Ren's grasp. His alpha instincts flared in confusion before being reined in once more. It was becoming more and more difficult to think.

 _Not again._ "On your back?" Kylo managed, and Mitaka nodded, stretching out his legs before him, trembling visibly now. Ren moved over him and nudged them apart, his erection straining against its confines, his hindbrain whispering desperate need - _take, fuck, knot, claim_. _Be gentle,_ another part of Kylo was saying, but oh, kriff, the scent of him, the closeness -

He pulled him close, face buried in the crook of his neck to take in that intoxicating scent, and felt the younger man's body respond to his own, fresh slick soaking through Ren's shorts when he ground down against him. At once he was pushing Mitaka's thighs up and apart, pinning him down to the mattress and kissing him hard to try and quell his squirming - he did not remember pulling his underwear off but suddenly he was fully bare and easing inside him and murmuring comfort against that quivering shoulder - "Shh, shh, omega, I've got you," and oh maker he felt so tight, so perfect, and it didn't matter that Mitaka was weeping because he would make it all better, he would make it good for him, he would knot him and protect him and give him a child -

"Alpha, _please_."

He did not know whether Dopheld was pleading him to stop or begging for more. It no longer mattered. Sharp nails dug into his shoulders, his chest, his cheeks, grasping and pushing in equal measure, but Ren was stronger; he gathered both of Mitaka's wrists in one hand and pinned them above him, cradling his hips with the other as he chased his climax with stuttering, erratic thrusts.

Ecstasy gripped him from the inside. His cock pulsed, hot and deep, and he felt his own release slipping from the Lieutenant's hole moments before his knot swelled.

Dopheld's shout of pain cut into his awareness, and he realized distantly that this might have been the first time an alpha knotted him. He wouldn't have been in heat when his captors raped him, and knotting could only happen in the presence of certain omega pheromones. Mitaka was sobbing openly now, struggling against him, and as the delirium of his rut faded, Kylo felt a heavy weight settling within him.

Almost reluctantly, he allowed himself to reach inside the other's thoughts. What he'd done had helped quell the fire - there was no doubt about that - but there was something sickening and terrified in its place, and he was still very much in pain.

Ren held him down until he'd stopped fighting. Only then, finally, could he afford to let go of his wrists, propping himself up over him as if afraid to embrace him any more. Mitaka's hands moved to his face, covering it; he turned his head away and wept.

At least his knot would go down quickly. Arousal extended the process, and right now, Ren was anything but. He closed his eyes, hung his head, tried not to think of Hux.

Eventually, when Dopheld was no longer sobbing and Kylo could feel the slick fluids from their coupling easing out of him by degrees as his knot receded, he reached out to stroke the Lieutenant's cheek. His skin was warm, and damp with tears, but it no longer had the same feverish quality as before. Usually there would be a grace period of a few hours where the symptoms of heat would wane and his alpha would have time to feed and care for him. Rebound heat was not so kind. Mitaka might have as little as ten or fifteen minutes before the cramps and the yearning began once more.

And in the meantime, the omega did not respond to his touch; did not even look at him, but rather stared at the wall, his body shaking almost imperceptibly with each laboured breath. Kylo pulled out, the evidence of his climax gushing out after him, copious and thick and shot through with streaks of blood.

The Supreme Leader did the only thing he could, which was to slip away from the bed and fetch a damp cloth from the ensuite fresher. Silently, almost reverently, he wiped down Dopheld's lower body, then mopped up some of the semen and slick from the sheet beneath him. Mitaka was lying on his side by now, arms wrapped around his chest, and for the first time the alpha noticed the bruises over his body, days old and fading; the marks on his hips sized perfectly to human hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Content warnings and summary:**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> The first sex scene takes place after the horizontal line.
> 
> While Mitaka has previously given consent, the scene reads like rape from the point of view of the aggressor. Once he realizes the extent of Mitaka's distress, Ren experiences remorse and attempts to care for him. Mitaka is mostly unresponsive.
> 
>  
> 
> _A note on consent:_
> 
>  
> 
> A/B/O and "fuck or die" scenarios tend to have a difficult relationship with consent. This fic is no different. Regardless of the opinions of the characters involved, I don't intend to give the impression that consent in real life is irrevocable once given.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third scene in this chapter may disturb. Content warnings and a summary are at the bottom for those who may wish to avoid certain types of content.

Once Ren had gone, and with the two stormtroopers yet to arrive, Hux had looked to Opan and asked, "So... when will we know if it's working?"

As always, Tritt's face was carefully still - having a good poker face was essential in his line of work - but over the years Hux had learned to read the microexpressions which hinted at what his assassin was thinking. It wasn't entirely a surprise when the response came.

"We won't, sir." Slim hands busied themselves over the co-pilot's console. "If our method doesn't work, we won't have any warning. His temperature will simply rise to an untenable level and our only option then will be to make him comfortable until he passes."

Hux saw Opan's gaze flick down to the fake code cylinder he wore, the one containing a dose of fast-acting neurotoxin. His lips pressed into a thin line.

"So when will we know to bring in another alpha?" he asked, brow furrowing.

"At the risk of sounding crude, sir - when none of us are able to sustain the, ah-"

"-right. So it's more an issue of stamina." Which meant that, for once, having an overgrown teenager for a Supreme Leader might prove to be an advantage. Kylo Ren's libido was slightly ridiculous, even for an alpha. It was a wonder Hux ever got any sleep. Not that he was complaining. Or at least -

Hux's train of thought jarred to a halt. Because it wasn't going to be like that any more, was it? Not after what those men had done. He tried to picture himself in bed with Ren, tried to picture those broad, strong hands on his skin while his bruises faded under them. It didn't feel right. And judging from previous experience, it was going to take a long time before it did.

Kriff - what if he couldn't - 

No. His alpha instincts would take over. Hux couldn't decide if that was more or less disturbing than the alternative.

* * *

There was a communal fresher in the passenger module. Hux had almost forgotten how much he'd wanted a shower, but his relief came back in full force when the water touched his skin. Afterwards he wiped the tears from his eyes and dabbed at his injuries with bacta gel before topping up his pain relief. Someone had left a spare uniform in the living area - Opan, probably - and although it seemed pointless to put on new clothes when they'd just get taken off again soon, his old ones were _fucking filthy_ , so pride won out.

He was on his way back to the cockpit when he met Ren in the hallway. Instantly, the General's eyes were drawn to the fingernail-width scratches on his face. For some reason he couldn't articulate, Hux felt like he'd been shot.

"I was about to call you," Ren said, after a brief and awkward silence. "You should go in."

"He fought you?" Hux found himself asking. His pulse had picked up. There was a coldness creeping through him, a quiet prelude to panic. At Kylo's affirmative nod, he took in a sharp breath.

"Hux." Ren never called him _Armitage_ ; why, then, did the use of his last name seem so threatening now? "He would die without our help. If he can't give consent during heat, he can't revoke it either." 

"That isn't how it works," Hux snapped.

"It is when his life is at stake." The other alpha pressed his lips together, working his jaw subtly, the way he tended to when he was nervous or uncertain. "I'm sorry."

"We'll talk about this later." Hux didn't want to meet his eyes any more, didn't even want to be around him. Something about Ren had changed for him now, and he didn't know how to get past it.

* * *

The room stank of heat, and of Kylo. Despite everything that had just happened, the smell was still comforting and enticing in equal measure. Hux felt the change in himself instantly, energy and arousal seeping through his body like warmth. Mitaka was curled up on his side, thighs wet with slick, skin flushed; Hux peeled off his greatcoat and gloves without thinking.

"Lieutenant," he asked as he approached, surprised by how hoarse his voice had become. "Are you -" _No, that's probably a stupid question._ "Tell me what you need."

"It hurts." The omega's voice was barely audible, and so different to the calm, confident tone Hux was used to hearing from him. "I'm s- so sorry. I don't - I want -"

Hux had not been prepared for just how much those pheromones would affect him. It felt as if his heart was screaming for him to get closer, to comfort him, to take in more of that addictive scent. As he unbuckled his belt, his hands trembled with the effort of holding himself back - until he realized that Mitaka had made no indication that he even wanted the alpha there to begin with.

Ren's words echoed in his head. _If he can't give consent during heat-_

 _You've destroyed a whole system full of planets,_ another voice in his mind cut in. _How is_ this _beyond your ethical limit?_ But giving orders was different to being a direct perpetrator. And how was he going to bring himself to do this when the same had been done to him less than seventy-two hours previously?

"If you don't want this," he found himself saying, "I'll leave."

"I don't know." Dopheld buried his face in his hands. "I don't want this. But I don't want to die. I want it to stop hurting. You have no idea-" His voice cracked. "Sir, I hate myself for wanting you."

Hux knew the feeling.

"Mitaka-" He swallowed, and slowly lay his belt aside, then unfastened the front of his tunic with shaking hands. "I will stop. If you tell me to. I know this needs to happen, but it can happen on your terms."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, General." Carefully, the omega lifted himself into a sitting position and watched him, eyes shadowed with exhaustion. "Speaking is difficult. Just get it over with. Please."

 _Get it over with._ Not the kind of thing one really wanted to hear in this situation. Especially not now. Still, it was easy to make himself do it, with those alpha instincts urging him on - easy to undress the rest of the way, to free his already-straining cock from its confines, to move onto that small, cramped bed which stank of sex and yearning and take Mitaka into his arms. It was so easy, so right, even as the younger man's body went tense under his touch.

"It's alright," He breathed against the crook of Dopheld's neck, rubbing his back, his sides; entwining their legs together as intimately if they had always been lovers. "It'll be alright."

" _Alpha_." It came out as a sob. Hux squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and eased Mitaka onto his back, laying gentle, awkward kisses on his collarbone and chest as he moved down over his body. Ren had comforted him once like this, after a night of unpleasant dreams, but neither of them were used to being soft with each other; it had felt equal parts soothing and strange. And while the pheromones conferred on him an artificial kind of beauty, the Lieutenant's body was nothing like Ren's - his skin the wrong colour, his flesh that little bit more yielding, his moles too small and in all the wrong places.

Haltingly, he coaxed the omega's thighs up and apart and kissed the inside of one, slick clinging to his lips. There were matching marks on his knees, and for a moment confusion made Hux hesitate until he realized they were bruises. Because of _course_ there were bruises. He'd been there when-

He couldn't do this. Hux sat back, found himself wiping his mouth furiously, tears stinging at his eyes as Mitaka stared up at him, panting hard.

"I'm sorry. I need Kylo here. Can you - can I do that?" he asked the omega. "Is that alright?"

Dopheld seemed to take a moment to comprehend what he was saying. With visible effort, he nodded and sat up again. "Close, alpha," he said, reaching for him. "Stay close until he comes."

They were both stiff and nervous in each other's embrace, and in the mutual tension of wanting and not wanting it was impossible to tell whether Mitaka was forcing himself to press close to the General or holding something back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Content warnings and summary:**
> 
>  
> 
> The scene after the second horizontal line is not a full sex scene, but still contains significant sexual and nonconsensual references.
> 
> Despite their biological imperative, both Hux and Mitaka struggle with the prospect of having sex. Mitaka asks Hux to "get it over with", but is still visibly tense; Hux finds himself unable to get past his own recent trauma, and tells Mitaka that he needs Ren here. Mitaka agrees. It is unclear whether he is genuinely comfortable with the prospect or simply desperate for the pain to stop.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may disturb. Content warnings and a summary are at the bottom for those who may wish to avoid certain types of content.

Ren arrived quickly. Despite their difficult conversation earlier, Hux couldn't help but feel comforted by his presence. It seemed enough to just have him there in the room, his dark eyes lighting on the two men lying together, his expression inscrutable.

They both sat up as Kylo moved over to them, Mitaka still holding on to Hux like a life raft. For a moment, there was something fearful in the omega's expression, a sort of shrinking - and then he took in a deep breath and blinked rapidly, his eyes taking on a distant cast. The General felt a fresh surge of slick eke onto his thigh, felt the Lieutenant's hands tighten on his body. Having two sets of alpha pheromones to contend with was clearly affecting him.

"What do you need?" Ren's voice had a low, hoarse edge to it. Mitaka keened quietly, pressed his face against the crook of Hux's neck.

"Please," he murmured, pulling at the General's waist as if to try and ease the man atop him. Hux knew he should be practically leaping on the omega by now, driven half-mad with that irresistible scent, but he found himself unable to respond despite his body's clear reaction.

"I can't-" he managed, throat closing up. He felt sick, ashamed. Dopheld's hands were suffocating and intoxicating in equal measure. Without speaking, the Supreme Leader shrugged off his tunic again and quickly pulled off his boots and breeches, moving to kneel on the bed over the other alpha's legs once he was fully undressed.

It was a little cramped, but when Ren took hold of Mitaka's shoulders, the young Lieutenant drew back willingly, allowing the alpha to settle him in his lap so they were both facing Hux. Ren wrapped his arm around Dopheld's chest and pressed his face against his shoulder with a quiet, soothing "shh, omega, I've got you." One large hand rubbed up and down his side, squeezed gently at his hip. Mitaka let out a sob. His eyes were screwed shut, lashes wet with tears, cheeks flushed.

Strangely, it didn't bother Hux to see Ren comforting Dopheld like this. Instead, he felt only relief, and a kind of tenderness. He watched them, breathing hard, feeling himself relax a little now the omega was no longer wrapped around him. Ren pressed his lips to Mitaka's ear and moved his free hand behind him.

"I'm going to take you again," he murmured. Mitaka shuddered visibly, and ground back against him; his knees were bent, legs braced at either side of Hux's hips now, and it seemed that only Kylo's considerable strength was keeping him up, because his body had very quickly gone pliant in the alpha's hold. It took the General a moment or two to realize that Ren was gently nipping at Mitaka's neck, kissing the small indents left behind from each bite.

Hux had never been with an omega before. Of course he knew the mechanics of it, had caught the scent of other omegas in heat aboard the _Finalizer_ when someone hadn't been quick enough with the suppressants and scent blockers, but at this moment everything he'd learnt seemed clinical and distant in comparison to the sight of Ren's teeth against Mitaka's neck. He remembered now that you were supposed to do that, to make them calmer, and it appeared to work, because Dopheld was almost gasping with need, his arms straining back to try and hold the alpha behind him, to pull him ever closer. The sight was so compelling that Hux had almost forgotten how to speak.

"You - sure you're up for that so soon?" he said. Ren's gaze met his with a flash of amusement.

"Not sure I could go for a third time, but yes, I am," he remarked, as his arm moved subtly behind the omega, who moaned after a moment or two and arched his back. Hux caught the scent of something new in the air.

"Are you really using bacta gel as lube?" he blurted out.

"It'll help with the pain."

The instant and unwanted memory of their rapes at the hands of the bounty hunters made Hux wince. Though the painkillers he'd taken were helping a little, he could still feel the ramifications of what they'd done to his body. And yet Dopheld seemed beyond the point of caring, now, and somehow that was worse.

It was just so _unfair_. Unfair that they had to face this again so soon after their trauma; unfair that this competent and dignified young officer should have to allow his commanding officers to see him like this, gasping and keening mindlessly in Kylo's arms. Heat was an intensely private experience for an omega. Hux knew that however well this turned out, his Lieutenant would still be left with the humiliation of having to reveal such a deep and personal facet of himself to three of his superiors.

A deep stab of sympathy pierced his heart. Ren looked over Mitaka's shoulder at him, and his eyes told Hux that he, too, understood. "Hold him for me," he murmured, with regret. Hux knelt up and gently took the Lieutenant's face in his hands, noting with sadness the way Mitaka leant into his touch, panting like an animal.

"Look at me, omega," Hux whispered. Dopheld opened his eyes. They were dark and heavy-lidded with lust, pupils blown wide. The General let his hands trail down Mitaka's flanks, his instinct to soothe and touch finally re-exerting itself. When he at last had a firm hold of the omega's arms, Kylo shifted and tightened his hold on the younger man's body, withdrawing his fingers and positioning his cock with the other.

Mitaka cried out the moment Ren breached him. Hux had to harden his heart against the sound, gripping him forcefully to allow Kylo to enter him. In the omega's eyes he saw confusion and relief and fear, and he rested his forehead against the other's, shushing him, murmuring desperate reassurance as Kylo began to move.

"Listen to me, Lieutenant," he whispered. Both Mitaka and Ren were beyond words now, the other alpha's breaths falling ragged and quick. "You survived what they did to us. You can survive this. I promise."

Abruptly, Dopheld leant in and kissed him hungrily. Hux let him. The combined draw of his and Kylo's scent made it impossible not to reciprocate - impossible, too, not to feel his body finally respond. He was already hard, his alpha hormones responding to the call where his mind could not, but now it was if he could finally feel it, that intoxicating warmth in the pit of his belly, the all-encompassing thrill of being near to an omega in heat.

He felt Mitaka's body shift as Ren started to rock his hips, and moved closer, his knee slotting between Kylo's spread thighs. Mitaka's hands slid to rest at his waist, then encircled his body entirely, seeking ever more comfort as they kissed. Hux's arm wrapped around him in turn, slipping between Dopheld's sweat-damp back and Kylo's chest, while the other palm stayed resting on the omega's side to steady him; when Ren's hand brushed against it, their hands interlocked and held tight.

His cock was stiff and aching between them. With his rational mind still treading water in that overwhelming flood of pheromones and lust, he resisted the urge to grind against Mitaka, feeling, oddly, like it might have been a violation, but when Kylo's hand let go of his own again, it sought the other alpha's erection as if touching him were the most natural thing in the world. Dopheld shuddered and pulled Hux closer. All his reservations, all the fear and the shame, seemed to have been banished somewhere distant and unimportant now, and when Kylo moved his lips away from the Lieutenant's neck, Hux was there to replace them. He bit down gently, and a shiver passed through him, his instincts needling at him to bite down fully, to _claim_ , but then Ren's scent filled his awareness and he could not think, could do nothing but allow Kylo to capture his lips as he thrust into the omega cradled between them.

"Lie back," Ren growled abruptly, when he broke off. It took Hux a moment to realize the alpha was addressing him. He kept hold of Mitaka's arms instinctively instinctively, feeling another small surge of slick against his thigh as Kylo pulled out and positioned Hux's cock at the omega's entrance instead, and oh, kriff, he was so warm, so _wet_ \- Dopheld let out a whine of protest at the loss, but when Hux eased into him, his eyes fluttered closed with ecstasy and he bore down, bottoming out within moments.

Ren stayed there panting for a moment or two before he slipped from the bed; enraptured with the tight heat of the Lieutenant's body, Hux barely noticed his absence. Instead he gripped Mitaka's hips and let the omega ride out his need atop him. Nothing else in the galaxy seemed to matter.

He came surprisingly quickly, and held Dopheld tight through the knot-panic, the younger man's choked sob registering only distantly in his consciousness. "Shh. Shh. It's alright," he murmured, rubbing his sides. After a moment, driven once more by instinct, he slid a hand between them and started to stroke Mitaka's cock. The omega did not protest, only rocked against him with a low moan; when he came, the rippling tightness around Hux's knot drew another orgasm from him, quick on the heels of the first as the warmth of Dopheld's release fell onto his skin, spreading more of that intoxicating scent.

"I'm s- sorry," he heard Dopheld whisper. Armitage shushed him, and squeezed his thigh.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Lieutenant," he replied hoarsely. "Are you alright? Do you need to change position?"

"No. I'm alright." Mitaka sagged back, panting, propping himself up with one hand on the mattress. Hux felt his cock twitch again at the sight of his body laid out before him, small traces of semen glistening on the taut muscles of his abdomen. Kylo slipped onto the mattress behind him and, gently, took hold of Dopheld's shoulder.

"Drink," he murmured, proffering a bottle of water to his lips. Mitaka obeyed exhaustedly, and Hux watched, experiencing a deep and inexplicable satisfaction at the sight.

And everything was right in the universe, for a little while. Their omega was loved and cared for, held between he and his lover like something precious and fragile, and when Dopheld let out another high, yearning moan, Hux was there to relieve his pain, grinding up into the tight ecstasy of his flesh, letting him take what he needed from his body.

It didn't last. Soon that pleasant fog cleared from his mind and he felt his own release spilling out around his deflating knot, mingling with the sweet-smelling fluid of Mitaka's arousal on their thighs. The Lieutenant keened and rocked down against him, still desperate for more. Kylo, who had been holding Dopheld's shoulders all the while, kissed his neck once more and pressed his hand to the small of the man's back.

"Be brave for me, omega," he murmured, hoarse-voiced and quiet. Hux wrapped his arms around Mitaka as the man was eased down atop him and realized his skin was worryingly hot.

Ren was shifting behind him now, positioning himself to enter him, and awareness seemed to flash in Dopheld's eyes at the contact. "No -" he breathed. "No. Please." Was he remembering the rapes again, or -? Hux grit his teeth and held him tight, tried not to think of the scratches on Kylo's cheek, tried to tell himself that the small sounds Mitaka was making were as much pleasure as they were fear.

Was it right for them to do this, when he could easily be dying? Why force him to relive all that hurt when these hours might be his last? Hux had no answer; could only cradle Dopheld's trembling form against his own through those first few thrusts and mutter soothing words into his ear.

"Shh, darling, I've got you; I've got you. You're doing so well for us." He had never spoken so gently to any lover, not even Kylo, and yet to withhold comfort from Mitaka would have felt like cruelty.

Soon the younger man's small, choked sobs died down into moans again as Ren rocked into him with that steady, languid pace Hux knew so well. Still he held him, letting Dopheld's weight settle onto him fully, feeling each thrust almost as if it were into his own body, and there was nothing between he and Kylo but their breath.

Ren came with a quiet exhale, and Mitaka squirmed back against him with a satisfied sigh. His eyes had once more lost that spark of frightened intelligence Hux had seen earlier, and he seemed aware of nothing but the deep pleasure of being knotted. Perhaps that was kinder. Kylo's large hand smoothed up and down Dopheld's back.

"The tie won't hold for long. Pheromones," he explained after a few minutes.

"You can tell?" Hux trailed a hand through Mitaka's hair as the omega nuzzled contentedly at the crook of his throat. Kylo nodded.

"I can - ah - feel when my knot's about to go down. It's happening already. We'll need to call in Opan."

"Alright." The General pressed a kiss to Dopheld's forehead, an unconscious gesture, and reached for the comlink on the bedside table.

As soon as Tritt was on his way, Kylo slipped from the bed, and Hux eased Mitaka onto his side to do the same. The Lieutenant reached for him, worry in his eyes.

"Don't go," he murmured hoarsely. "Alpha. Please."

It was so difficult not to stay, but he was tired, and covered in semen and slick, and Hux knew the two of them couldn't give the omega what he needed again without some downtime. "Opan's on his way. I promise you won't have to wait long," he murmured, pulling out of the Lieutenant's hold.

"I don't want him." Mitaka's voice was cracking. "There have been so many - too many strange men. I just want you. Please, alpha. Come back to me. Make the pain stop."

"I'm so sorry," Hux told him, and meant it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Content warnings and summary:**
> 
>  
> 
> When Kylo arrives, Mitaka seems fearful for a moment before the presence of two alphas overwhelms him. Kylo has sex with Mitaka while Hux is holding him, but doesn't finish; he then soothes Mitaka while Hux penetrates him and knots inside him. After Hux's knot has gone down, Kylo penetrates him again, despite Mitaka saying no, although he is soon overwhelmed by his heat and soothed by Hux's attentions.
> 
> After he has knotted inside Mitaka, Kylo notes that the tie won't hold for long and that they need to call in Opan soon. Mitaka is visibly distressed at the prospect of having sex with another alpha, but neither Hux nor Kylo are able to help him again without resting first.
> 
> Throughout the scene, both Kylo and Hux comfort Mitaka physically, and Mitaka goes through varying degrees of heat severity, still able to communicate verbally at points.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may disturb. Content warnings and a summary are at the bottom for those who may wish to avoid certain types of content.

Tritt Opan was no stranger to death.

His first had been at the age of twelve; a boy in his class at Arkanis academy. Tritt had defeated him humiliatingly in a ranked training exercise earlier that day. In the privacy of the cadets' communal refreshers, the boy had beaten him with such savagery that the improvised weapon Tritt kept on his person - the sharpened end of a toothbrush - went into his enemy's throat almost without thought.

Eventually he'd looked up from the student's unmoving body to see their dormitory master looming over him, and had immediately expected the same fate, but the master had only frowned and reached out a hand for the improvised weapon.

"Very resourceful," he'd murmured, taking out a handkerchief to wipe off the blood. "Impressive. What's your name, boy?"

"Opan, sir." The blood was seeping to the toes of his boots now. Oddly, he found that having the approval of a higher power was a balm to the shock of what he'd done. Master Brendol looked over the young man, taking in the bleeding nose, the right eye socket beginning to swell beyond recognition, the dirt and blood clinging to his clothes from their scuffle.

"I'll take care of this, cadet. Go and change into your pyjamas before someone gives you a reprimand for the state of your uniform."

It was the last time he killed without thinking about it. The unique lessons and duties to which Brendol soon had him assigned - surveillance, espionage, eventually assassination - did not hold the same challenges as combat. Even those few times he had cause to get up close, to cover his target's mouth while he plunged his blade into their back, were done so with care and deliberation. Opan may have been a killer, but he was not a butcher. In death there was a kind of intimacy which demanded respect.

* * *

The two stand-in pilots were in the cockpit for a while before Hux summoned him. Tritt simply waited, providing instructions where necessary, until his General's hoarse voice requested his presence over the comm.

Perhaps he should have waited a little longer, because when he passed Hux and Kylo on their way out of Mitaka's room, the Supreme Leader actually _growled_ at him. Hux ushered him past, looking intensely embarrassed.

"No! _No_ ," he warned, his arm around Kylo's shoulders. It was only natural, of course - one alpha scenting another around an omega in heat was bound to cause problems when the two alphas weren't accustomed to each other - but Opan pretended not to notice, nonetheless.

* * *

Mitaka was lying on his back when he came in. Exhausted, sweaty-haired, smelling of slick and the two other alphas, although they'd apparently done their best to clean him up before they left. Tritt removed his jacket and hat and set them quietly on the small bedside table beside the open packets of bacta gel and the damp towel. The scene reminded him more of sickness than of sex. He paused, then knelt down next to the bed, placing a hand on the younger man's clammy arm. Dopheld opened his eyes.

"Alpha," he murmured. His hand moved to reach for Tritt's, to pull him in closer, and when he nuzzled into his neck it was almost a surprise that the Lieutenant had so much strength left in him. His eyes were red-rimmed, the lashes clumping with old tears; Opan wondered if his cheeks would taste of salt.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Mitaka gently. The omega took in a long breath against the skin of his throat.

"Terrible," he murmured. "I want-" his fingers snagged over the alpha's uniform, trying to grasp. "I want this over with. I want you so much," he managed; and Tritt gently took his wrist away and moved to undress himself.

Over the years he had helped some of his omega comrades through their heats, striving every time for the same gentle professionalism as he brought to his work. It should have been no different now. But this act of mercy felt more like an assassination than anything else, as if Dopheld were already dying, and he, merely comforting him for his last hours.

He settled naked on the bed beside him, letting the Lieutenant's hands wander over his lean body; when Mitaka moved to kiss him he parted his lips and embraced him. His skin felt so hot, his cock straining and hard, and Tritt felt his own stir in response.

In the movements of Dopheld's body there was at once a weakness and a desperate need. He grabbed the alpha's hips, trying to pull the older man atop himself, but there wasn't enough strength left in him to do more than guide Opan's way. Tritt moved over him and settled between his legs, parting Mitaka's thighs with his knees. 

The contact left small smears of slick on Opan's flesh. Dopheld closed his eyes and just - waited. Head tilted back, leg hooked loosely behind the Captain's hips, his whole body as limp and movable as a doll. Tritt watched his face as he slipped a finger inside him. There was more heat, there, but not enough moisture - quite possibly the omega was dangerously dehydrated. Opan drew back and grabbed a packet of bacta gel and another bottle of water.

Mitaka let out a pained whine. He reached for him again to clutch his shoulder, an attempt to draw him closer. It was no struggle at all to pry away the fingers and wrap them around the bottle instead, but the moment Tritt let go, it fell out of Dopheld's hand. The omega stared at him with dazed, affronted eyes.

"Alpha. Who are you?" he breathed.

Opan had no idea how to answer that. He covered his uncertainty by moving off Mitaka and pulling the other man into a sitting position against him. Their legs tangled together, Opan's lean and growing sinewy with age, Mitaka's young and pale and bruised.

"I'm here to help you," he said finally. He found his free hand stroking up and down the Lieutenant's chest as he supported him, soothing him.

Dopheld required no urging to drink the water, although he needed help, and Tritt found himself wondering just how much good it would do. Still, by the time he slid his fingers beneath Mitaka to prep him with the bacta gel, the Lieutenant had enough strength in him to turn around and straddle the alpha, wrapping one trembling arm around Opan's neck.

"No. Like this," he murmured. His dark eyes searched Tritt's face, and he reached behind himself to guide the Captain's cock inside him. Opan halted him only momentarily, making sure they were both slicked up, then eased the Lieutenant down onto him, guiding the other man's legs around his own waist when he was fully seated.

They fucked with a kind of detached tenderness, Mitaka's hands finding Opan's cheeks and holding them as Tritt held Mitaka's body in turn. When the omega grew more desperate, he leant back and pistoned his hips, making the Lieutenant gasp with desperation; when Opan finally knotted him, Dopheld's breaths turned into a sigh. Out of habit, the alpha reached between them to finish him off, but Mitaka held his wrist still and, panting, shook his head.

"No," he breathed, "I'm so tired," and then, "I don't-- where am I? I don't know who you are. I'm sorry."

"It's alright," the assassin told him, still embracing Mitaka while the omega's fingers traced the line of his jaw and cheek, as if he could somehow recover the memory through touch. "You're safe. I'm a friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Content warnings and summary:**
> 
> This chapter is written from the point of view of a professional assassin and begins with a minor character death, in flashback, that borders on explicit and contains eye trauma. Themes of death and illness are persistent throughout the chapter.
> 
> The sex scene takes place after the second horizontal line. Although he is still in heat, Mitaka is clearly ill and his survival seems uncertain. Tritt treats him gently and respects his wishes regarding how and where he wants to be touched. Mitaka is less reluctant than in previous chapters, but no longer seems fully aware of the situation, and asks Opan twice who he is.


End file.
